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Oh my gosh. All I want for breakfast is a Black bean, Escarole, and Chickpeas!

In recent years, there has been an increasing awareness of animal lives and rights. With the increased interest, people have chosen to become vegan– a dietary and life restriction to never consume or use animal-based products. In an attempt to spread their beliefs, organizations which represents vegans hold rallies, information sessions, and other events in an attempt to recruit more people to living a vegan life.

Veganoutreach.org is a website which accepts donations from the general public in order to further its interests of creating a “vegan world.” Before donating, the non-profit organization shows a picture of one person labeled as “me” followed by a group of people labeled as “me+donation” in order to show the website’s viewers that a single donation will help many people learn the aspects of living a vegan lifestyle. It makes the person in question of donating feel as if they are contributing to a larger purpose, bigger than themselves.

In addition, the website puts”speciesism” on the same level as racism and sexism amongst humans; therefore, making a claim that both human lives and animal lives and rights are equally as important. The non-profit uses the work of philosophers in order to advance and support their opinions, for example, the website contains a quote from renowned utilitarian thinker Jeremy Bentham: “The question is not, ‘Can they reason?’ nor, ‘Can they talk?’ but, ‘Can they suffer?” They also make the claim that not killing a dog for food gives a reason for people not to kill another animal for food. Considering dogs are domesticated companions, I am wondering if maybe this website supports the idea of putting cows on leashes and taking them for walks down the street?

In a world divided amongst race and gender, our society ought to ask the question of what is more important: human issues or animal issues? While it is nice to care for animals with the utmost respect as we ought to treat humans, are there other issues, such as ending childhood hunger, increasing education in impoverished communities, or ending the gender gap in certain professions, which we should focus our donations? I believe this is so, but that is a question for individual people, and at the end of the day people decide whether looking at a dead farm animal, which can be used to feed a number of human beings in need of food, equates to the sight of watching a child starve to death. Many vegan options for food have low caloric content, and for the foods which are packed with nutrients, especially protein, they tend to be very expensive– a burden on low income families.

Less serious example: When someone is called a jock or an athlete they tend to act with an ego, especially at a young age. There is an entitlement and popularity perspective which promotes certain attitude and behavior towards others.

When someone is labeled criminal something more serious occurs. It’s a mark. It’s something that they not only carry around in their head but must notify future employers. This makes sense though. It is smart for our current system of justice to compel people to notify employers that they were incarcerated because the system which they entered is FAULTY, INCOMPLETE, AND A DETRIMENT TO ANYONE WHOM ENTERS. If the system was different, we could remove the label, because the system would have an effect, an effect which could change behavior and attitude, and would allow a person who has committed a crime, to learn and rehabilitate themselves. Especially, for drug-related offenses and non-violent crime.

The following is the mission statement of our country’s Department of Justice: “To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.”

https://www.justice.gov/about

Plan to deconstruct/summarize/ revise the following statements in the above quote:

1)Interests of the United States

2) preventing and controlling crime

3) just punishment

I believe all of this can be done by doing one thing changing the label “criminal…”

Thesis:

The Criminal Justice System in the United States utilizes labeling in order to bar those who are convicted of commititng crime from reentering society, and thus, establishes a life of lawless behavior and deviant acts for those who enter the system. The execution of labeling acts as the sole reason as to why our country has the largest recidivism and incarceration rate in the Western World and helps maintain the country’s punishment first and rehabilitation second ideology of justice.

The deliberation for my group, State of Mind, went extremely well. Unlike the other deliberation I went to, our event ran more smoothly and unscripted, which I believe makes for a great discussion. While each approach was not able to ask every question which it had listed, I believe that shows testament to the engagement and interest of the audience.

In terms of my approach, I think Kiki and I did a great job of keeping the floor open for any kinds of input. In fact, it was in our piece where one student shared his opinions on mental health in Corporate America. Coming into the deliberation, I was thinking about mental health in terms of college students; moreover, I was thinking of young adults, still developing and battling with the stresses of becoming more independent. I did not think about mental health in people, like my parents, working and providing for their families. I think this is a stigma in of itself; furthermore, I think there is a general sentiment that those in leadership or advisory positions do not struggle to maintain their mental health. This issue made me think about how teaching young-adults techniques to maintain their mental health in high-school and college could ultimately benefit and influence their behavior later in life. If one acquires a tool belt of strategies to cope with anxiety, depression, and the like from a relatively young age, how would that influence them in their future careers and lives?

In addition, I was extremely satisfied with the audience’s reaction to our story telling idea. I think this is a very viable option in attacking the current stigma on campus, and it seemed as if those in attendance completely agreed. The only potential challenge to this approach actually occurred during the deliberation: a fear to share personal narrative. When opening the floor for the audience to share personal stories, the room went silent; however, after a number of the members of the deliberation team shared their experiences, a few of the the people in the audience volunteered to share their experiences. I wonder if things would’ve been more intimate or personal if there was someone on the team who was able to share a story about themselves and how they had to find treatment for their illness, or if the presence of an adult who had suffered from mental illness was there to share their story?

In the article published by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, nine ways are described in order to fight stigmas surrounding mental health. The first, which I believe to be the most crucial, is to “talk openly about mental health.” This simple rule plays a large role in mine and Olivia’s strategy to mitigate mental health stigma; moreover, as I described in my last blog post, it is our goal to utilize the art of story-telling to diminish stigma.

The second article brings up a terrible misconception, something that, to be honest, I believed for a long time: people with mental illness are weak– suck it up. It’s easy to look from the exterior and make assumptions about another’s mental state. I know in high school there were times where I spoke to kids when it was visible that something was affecting them mentally. Many of them were not sleeping, binge eating or not eating at all, and not conversating with their peers as usual. Were they depressed?

I mean we had a lot of homework and all, and I was able to get it done and deal with the stress, so they should be able to too. Right?

But, it’s not that easy because there could have been so many other things in their life contributing to their physical appearance and mental state. How would I know?

I have to go back to storytelling. If we are able to find students who have experienced mental illness to share their story, the things going on in their life, the way they felt, who they leaned on etc. people will be able to get a glimpse into what it is like to live with mental illness. This will add a personal approach to the topic. Many people would know the person talking; moreover, maybe you see a friend from home speak, or a kid you sit next to in Biology and you will think to yourself “this could happen to anyone” or “Wow he/she seemed so normal I’m shocked.”

Storytelling is powerful, and I believe it is powerful enough to end the stigma surrounding mental health.

This group plans to observe, investigate, and improve the atmosphere surrounding mental health on campus. We plan to do this by conducting interviews, researching, and hearing stories from people who have experienced some sort of mental illness. It is our goal to find and correct the flaws associated with CAPS– Penn State’s mental healthcare service. I, along with Olivia Daffan, will work to find ways to establish an accepting and stigma-free environment here at Penn State.

I plan to present the idea of establishing a story-telling event in which students, faculty, and staff would have the opportunity of telling the story of their experiences with mental illness. Story-telling has an extremely impactful effect not only on the audience but also the speaker. I think this event is very plausible, considering that a few of my peers and I are in the works of establishing a story-telling club. In addition, not only would this event make lasting effects on those who attend but it will also bring much-needed attention to this issue.

Kiki plans to present the idea of holding a mandatory seminar for first-year students, which discusses mental health to a greater extent. This would provide students with a better understanding of the effects of certain mental disorders, help them understand how to balance a college workload, and give them tools to handle and deal with stress. While many first years are required to enroll in a seminar, it does not put much focus on mental health and Schreyer Scholars are not required to enroll in such seminars. That is not a joke…

The students with arguably the largest workload are not required to attend a seminar which would aid them in their transition to college.

As of right now, Kiki and I are researching certain methods that other colleges and communities have used to create a more accepting environment and stigma-free atmosphere.

Hen, come on the floor is shaking, and your sister is trying to sleep!” “One more mile, Mom!”

Off the treadmill, I’d go and immediately take off my shirt. Turning sideways, I’d look at my progress and feel around for those dreaded love handles. I GOT THIS!

You would think after a long workout I’d go downstairs and eat a delicious homemade meal (I mean my mom is 100% Italian and an amazing cook), but no. I’d reach into the freezer and grab one of the hundreds of little boxes titled “Weight Watchers,” and with a sigh, I’d take off the plastic.

That’s a dinner?! Jeez, this looks like a good afternoon snack!

What in the world was this twelve-year-old doing? Now, was his time to eat those juicy burgers, greasy fries, and gooey cookies. But, he decided it was time to stop.

He no longer wanted to wear a swim shirt on the beach. No longer wanted to tuck in his stomach to fit into his school uniform. But most importantly, this was middle-school Henry, and he wanted to be a player!

He held himself well, walking down the hallways with his classic grin and would never hesitate to make a quick comment at one of the pretty girls in his class.

“Yo Alyssa, how you doing?”

But, he wanted to fit the bill.

Day by day, run by run, and sit-up by sit-up little hen watched the numbers on the bathroom scale drop. It was no cake walk battling through grandma yelling, “Hen, stop starving yourself!” and friends chuckling “Hahaha what are you on a diet, loser?”

But at the end of the day, I thought, “Fuck it. I got this.” It’s something I put my mind to, something that I wanted for myself. I wanted to be slim. I wanted to fit the image of the cocky little kid which I was.

Later that year, I walked around the spring carnival with my girlfriend. We laughed and smiled as we played games and rode all of the rides. And when we were on the teacups, and I held her hand under the seat, I looked at our embrace and repeated the words in my head:

As a member of this group, I will take equal and fair responsibility of my assigned duties to make sure that this project is finished on time and completed to the best of our group’s abilities. We will conduct interviews, research, and will observe major shopping centres. We will try to understand the different ideologies between age groups to attempt to come to a consensus.

Start it off: whole bunch of pictures of Santa…. From 1881 (American depiction of Santa Claus first created by Thomas Nast), World War I, World War II, and so on… Goal show when Santa was created, and how that view has persisted throughout the years. Show a present day picture.

Then…

Picture of a Black Santa (polarize… WHAT IS THIS?!)

Weird? hmmmm… YES

So the conception of Santa was created in 1800’s based on: Dutch tradition of Sinter Klaas which was based on St. Nicholas… But the American view of Santa is different, at least physically

I mean it was created in the 1800’s why in the world would there be a black Santa? Yes, your right there would be no reason

Lets think about the 1800s: we weren’t exactly industrialized (show pictures of farms), we did not exactly have the same acceptance of people as we do today (picture of slaves/ women being oppressed), we did not have the same technology (show a picture

POSSIBLE THESIS: The color of Santa is indicative of the time period in which “he” was created, but not a representation of the values and feelings associated around “him”; therefore, now that we live in the 21st century, the color of Santa can change without any mutation in the tradition of Santa.

On the surface there is nothing wrong with that… But, now there have been appearance of Black Santas…

Talk about Baron Davis and his movements/ The Mall of America

There has been much contest to this… Why does everything have to be about race? Why is Santa bad because he is white?!

Bear with me… take a second and think about black and white… they look different… but pretend it is yellow and purple, blue and green… color doesn’t matter

I want to look at race, which we believe to be color, simply as a construction of power

Show a funny picture…. Not this

But the power of being the default color (white) for “people”…

But, Santa isn’t even a real person he is a SYMBOL that stands for values… XYZ, and use a quote from Black Santa movement– those values can be highlighted in any color and they stay the same

Does white Annie behave any different than white Annie?

You see it’s so hard to accept this because Santa is associated with so many traditions… pictures of families/ friends etc.

But will changing the color of Santa really change what Santa is all about?

Mrs. Hamilton, I have so many things I want to say!!! Five minutes is torture!

This is a very rough draft… I have a lot of ideas and sources but it needs to be expanded and cleaned up.

Interview Reme Uduebo?

Santa Claus is real. We see him in pictures, advertisements, movies, cards, and more, but as a society, we think of Santa as being a mythical being that kids obsess over, families use to decorate their houses, and industries use to market their products. One can find Santa in a department store, on TV, in a movie, on the street, and the list goes on. Sure, he may not may not be a human being, but the idea of a Santa—Santa as a label—is most definitely real and alive, and it has been for a very long time. We can find the origins of Santa Claus in the United States somewhere in the 1800’s. http://www.history.com/topics/christmas/santa-claus- cite origins. While the actual physical depiction of Santa Claus has not changed in the last 200 years, the manifestation of the name, has undoubtedly mutated and progressed, atleast for some groups of people. The Dutch combined with the story of Santa Claus and his image have led America to adopt a crafted story and depiction of Santa Claus; however, the idea of Santa Claus, in today’s world, has become much larger, where we take in account race.

BODY 1: Identify what Santa Claus stands for: his values and his affect on American society.

By this point, Santa Claus was a symbol whose meaning was no longer limited to a religious observance, or even a season, but encompassed everything that is kindly, cheerful, generous and peaceful

He is large round the waist, but what care we for that—
‘Tis the good-natured people who always get fat.

Santa and the secular celebration associated with him were invented for all people, to encourage everyone to be good.

During the Christmas season, our need for such things as belonging, forgiveness, and security can surface in dramatic ways. And none of our often frantic attempts to surround ourselves with sights and sounds and tastes of a consumerist culture can really speak to the longings that arise from the deep places in our souls.
Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/1999/12/in-defense-of-santas-values.aspx#1VvUHCekbtKxPYU6.99

The preparations making on every side for the social board that is again to unite friends and kindred; the presents of good cheer passing and repassing, those tokens of regard, and quickeners of kind feelings; the evergreens distributed about houses and churches, emblems of peace and gladness; all these have the most pleasing effect in producing fond associations, and kindling benevolent sympathies…Stranger and sojourner as I am in the land,—though for me no social hearth may blaze, no hospitable roof throw open its doors, nor the warm grasp of friendship welcome me at the threshold,—yet I feel the influence of the season beaming into my soul from the happy looks of those around me. Surely happiness is reflective, like the light of heaven; and every countenance, bright with smiles, and glowing with innocent enjoyment, is a mirror transmitting to others the rays of a supreme and ever shining benevolence.

Body 3: While the way we look at Santa is similar today, we must contextualize the idea of Santa in today’s platform of modern day politics and society. What I mean is, we live in a racialized world, where many things are looked at in terms of race… When looking at Santa… In looking at Santa, I think it is important to look at in this way: Mills- white, black, yellow etc. are colors that people have created/ race is created by people/ we want to look at race as a power structure, and ask the question “Why cant Santa look different.”

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2016/4/6/it-is-about-race/

But of course it’s about race—everything is. Our country was built on oppression, and race is everywhere,/ “Don’t make this about race.”

I know it is a busy time of year, but we need you to settle a little debate that has emerged in American media asking: Are you white? Are you black? When you come in from the North Pole, do you have a legal visa–or are you undocumented?

Your whole story, which is supposed to be universal, can leave a lot of kids feeling pretty distressed at this time of year. Can you find a kid if he lives in an apartment building, not a house with a chimney? Can you find her in a homeless shelter?

You are as universal and encompassing, or as narrow and exclusionary as we imagine you to be. So, if we cannot imagine you as racially different from ourselves, it is because our minds are stunted by a history that still cannot fathom benevolence, kindness and intimacy in the bodies of those who are not like us.

Because if we, as a nation, can become polarized over you… we’re going to need a lot more than candy canes this time of year.

Body 4: Social movements/ media effect

This is the basic problem with Santa-theology today. Santa now typifies the whole ‘if you’re poor you must be a slacker (i.e. naughty)” ethos that has taken over our society.- https://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-dr-susan-brooks-thistlethwaite/jesus-will-forgive-you-bu_b_4477349.html

Body 5: Responses to these movements and WHY? NEGLECT BECAUSE OF TRADITION

just 19% of whites, as compared to 60% of
blacks, believed race was a major problem in America.4 Indeed, while that poll found that large majorities
of both white and black Americans concur that racial stereotyping continues, most white Americans, in
contrast to black Americans, believe that blacks have equal access to affordable housing, employment,
and the fair administration of justice, despite often overwhelming facts to the contrary.

Racial discrimination exists only at
the margins – our society is fundamentally fair when it comes to issues of race. The result is that many
people are reluctant to raise issues of racial discrimination and find it distasteful when others do.

Body 6: Where else do we see this and WHY? ANNIE

http://www.theroot.com/annie-s-black-now-get-over-it-1790874854

Also to be noted is that in neither Annie’s nor Johnny Storm’s case is their skin or hair color an essential part of their character. Sure, the world came to know and love the original Annie’s vibrant, red curls, but they weren’t essential to the development of the plot as a whole.

In Charles Mills’ novel NAME, he discusses whiteness not as a color but as a power construction. Not only as a construction of power, but as a construction of power that is apparent, but not recognized….

In recent years, there has been much contention with the actual depiction of Santa Claus: all Santa’s are overweight, old white men with white, fluffy beards. Thinking about the origins of Santa, in the United States, the mid- 19th century, this depiction would make sense. The story of Santa was crafted by white men during a period of legislative and social white supremacy. This is not a claim that Santa Claus was created with purpose to establish a symbol for white dominance, instead, it is a way for society to understand why Santa looks the way he does, today. So now the key questions come up: “Now that we live in a world with different ideologies and social structures, must we depict Santa in the same way?” This question is extremely apparent now, and going forward. In fact, movements have developed: The Black Santa Movement. Obviously, Santa Claus is seen as a white man, no one can reject that claim, and there is no problem with that when we look at whiteness as a color, but whiteness is not necessarily only a “color.” In Charles Mills’ novel NAME, he discusses whiteness not as a color but as a power construction. Not only as a construction of power, but as a construction of power that is apparent, but not recognized….

Retired NBA guard, Baron Davis, and American rapper, fabulous, have developed a movement known as “The Black Santa Movement.” According to Davis, “the whole point of having a black Santa Claus…it’s all about the emotions and the affect that [the Santa’s] give people—not really what they look like.” Meaning, color acts simply as a visionary technique, but does not inherently attribute different qualities to the perception of “Santa Claus.” Along this vein, Davis stated that he “supports all Santa’s, of all colors.” This idea of Black Santa does not just apply to Davis’ new business, however. In 2016, Larry Jefferson Gamble appeared as Santa in the Mall of America in Minnesota. In response to his appearance, Santa Larry was greeted with a number of tweets attacking his role playing Santa. For example,

http://www.newsweek.com/why-santa-claus-white-multicultural-535698
Initially, children were surprised to know that Santa was black. Some even asked if he was the “real Santa’s helper,” a pejorative perspective. Until this book, children had known only a single story—that Santa must be white. This discussion of Santa and race led children to research and write about other texts that left out African-Americans.

Here is one of the major objections to the changing the way we visualize Santa: tradition. NEED TO ADDRESS WHY IT IS SO CRAZY TO ATTACK TRADITION. Aside: now you may ask, “Okay, if we change the skin color of Santa we should also change the Easter Bunny to an Easter Squirrel, or Thanksgiving Turkey to a Thanksgiving Moose. But these things are not directly related; moreover, while each of these symbols stand in representation of certain holidays, the defining factor for Santa is his whiteness, and our society has a hyperactive tendency to racialize concepts.\
NEED TO BRING MILLS IN SOMEWHERE.
SANTA AS A SYMBOL OF XYZ AND NOT AS A PERSON ABC?

– visits from Santa have more to do with socioeconomic factors than child behavior, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/grenada-railroad-adds-premium-diamond-class-seating-for-train-to-christmas-town-2017-10-16
– Train to Christmas town which is targeted at the wealthy… some things associated with Christmas target the wealthy
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-santa-racists-freak-out_us_5844fb5ee4b09e21702f631b
– “It gives them something to identify with, but Santa is still just Santa,”
– Reaction: “I don’t understand why Santa would be black. He is a white character. Just seems kind of racist to make him black for the sake of having black Santa. I don’t really care but in our racially sensitive society I don’t understand how this is considered okay? O the hypocrisy.”
– ATTACKING TRADITION

– POSITIVE LIGHT ON AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE
– EMOTIONS AND THE AFFECT THAT THE SANTAS GIVE PEOPLE
http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/12/12/santa_claus_white_fox_news_megyn_kelly_thinks_so_but_santa_s_not_real.html
– whiteness-as-default
– changing Santa does not mean we’re being “politically correct.” It means we’re expanding our perceptions of the “norm.”
http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/the_kids/2012/12/the_santa_lie_is_the_big_christmas_con_hurting_our_kids.html
http://www.harpweek.com/09Cartoon/BrowseByDateCartoon.asp?Month=December&Date=25

Nast was instrumental in standardizing and nationalizing the image of a jolly, kind, and portly Santa in a red, fur-trimmed suit delivering toys from his North Pole workshop. This was accomplished through his work in the pages of Harper’s Weekly, his contributions to other publications, and by Christmas-card merchants in the 1870s and 1880s who relied heavily upon his portraiture.

Right after page 146, in It’s What I Do, Addario displays a picture of her “Nina and Poppy having coffee.” At fist glance, feelings of nostalgia and love flooded my mind, and I was brought back to a place that I love more than anything in the world: the family dinner table.

The image reminded me of how much I enjoy sitting with my grandparents, over a cup of coffee, and simply talking about the news, sports, and the like. Growing up these small conversations shaped and molded how I viewed the world; moreover, my grandpa made me a New York Giants fan, made me learn Republican ideologies, made me learn what it means to be a man, and made me understand that hard-work always pays off.

I can honestly say that my grandpa, in many ways, shaped the man that I am today; however, other experiences throughout my life aided me in searching beyond my grandfather’s (veteran, retired police officer, son of immigrants) view of the world. These experiences are accurately portrayed in a picture just after page 210. The picture depicts a close-up of a woman clearly in despair; she is crying and is obviously in a state of sadness.

Unluckily or luckily, I have seen faces such as the one depicted through my community service experiences…

On one evening last December, I was visiting the Manhattan Correctional Facility with a group of my peers. There, we held a prayer circle, and did the best we could to celebrate some version of Christmas. One inmate across from me in the circle wept and uttered, “I just want to wake up next to wife and kids on Christmas morning.” As I looked at the man, it was the first time that I ever felt some sort of remorse for a “criminal.”

Events such as the one above, coupled by my grandfather’s teachings, have allowed me to form my own view of the world. Now when I sit with my grandpa at the table, I am able to offer him other ways to look at events, people, and politics that contrast in comparison to his ideologies. While some may think this would cause my grandfather and I to grow apart, in fact, it has opened so many new doors in our relationship.